The South Dakota Supreme Court has ordered a six-month suspension of former state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s law license, citing actions he took after a deadly accident with a pedestrian that precipitated his political downfall.
Ravnsborg violated “Rules of Professional Conduct,” the Supreme Court ruling issued Wednesday stated.
“Ravnsborg’s patent dishonesty concerning the use of his phone, as well as the developed forensic evidence, raise genuine questions about the integrity of his statements regarding the night of the accident,” the ruling said. “This conduct, particularly considering Ravnsborg’s prominent position as attorney general, reflected adversely on the legal profession as a whole and impeded the administration of justice.”
It’s unclear if Ravnsborg will appeal. A call to a phone number listed for Ravnsborg on Thursday went unanswered. Messages were left with Ravnsborg’s attorney, Michael Butler.
Ravnsborg, a Republican, was elected in 2018. He was impeached and removed from office less than two years after the 2020 accident that killed 55-year-old Joe Boever, who was walking along a rural stretch of highway when he was struck.
A disciplinary board of the South Dakota State Bar sought a 26-month suspension of Ravnsborg’s law license, though it would have been retroactive to June 2022, when he left office.
At a hearing before the South Dakota Supreme Court in February, Ravnsborg spoke on his own behalf, telling justices that contrary to the disciplinary board’s allegations, he was remorseful.
“I’m sorry, again, to the Boever family that this has occurred,” Ravnsborg told the court. “It’s been 1,051 days, and I count them every day on my calendar, and I say a prayer every day for him and myself and all the members of the family and all the people that it’s affected. And I’m very sorry for that.”
Thomas Frieberg, an attorney for the disciplinary board, said at the February hearing that members focused on Ravnsborg’s actions after the accident.
“The board felt very strongly that he was, again, less than forthright. That he was evasive,” Frieberg said.
Ravnsborg was driving home from a political fundraiser the night of Sept. 12, 2020, when his car struck “something,” according to a transcript of his 911 call. He told the dispatcher it might have been a deer or other animal.
Relatives later said Boever had crashed his truck and was walking toward it, near the road, when he was hit.
Ravnsborg resolved the criminal case in 2021 by pleading no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving, and was fined by a judge. Also in 2021, Ravnsborg agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Boever’s widow.
At the 2022 impeachment hearing, prosecutors told senators that Ravnsborg made sure that officers knew he was attorney general, saying he used his title “to set the tone and gain influence” in the aftermath of the crash. Butler, at the February hearing, said Ravnsborg was only responding when an officer asked if he was attorney general.
Absolutely REPULSIVE case. I just read articles on the entire fiasco that has gone on since Sept 2020. I know one thing for sure, if John or Jane Q. Public were to be driving their vehicle at 10:30pm one night, while talking on our cell phone and we permitted our vehicle to cross into the opposing lane of traffic so far that we hit “something” – and then that ended up being a grown man who DIED due to the Impact – We’d be facing MANSLAUGHTER charges without hesitation.
This State Representative for SC hit Mr. Boever (pronounced Beaver)in such a way that his face hit the front windshield and literally came through it – evidence found part of his eyeglasses on the floor mat of the Front Passenger Seat and the other half, in the BACK seat. That is some force – and I think you’d know when you stop and don’t see a dead deer or animal fur/hair & blood well then the ONLY possibility would be a HUMAN – who else wears glasses?
He repeatedly told the Police when they arrived at the scene that he was Attorney General of the State. Then they charged him ONLY with reckless driving, crossing the lane and using an electronic device while operating a vehicle. EACH of the three charges carried a $500 fine and max 30 days behind bars – but this AG POS pled “Not Guilty” You hit a live man and killed him while you were driving distracted down the wrong side of the road but you’re “Not Guilty”
I read the entire saga, which went on for 4 years and at no time did he ever present himself to Court, he let his attorney handle that…. He settled a Civil Suit against him but refused to disclose the arrangement with the Family of the Man whom this POS gave an Energy Drink to (think about that ridiculous commercial advertising Red Bull – “It gives you wings” — I’m still waiting for Red Bull to be sued to oblivion when some young kid drinks one down and then jumps off a building, but – )
There were 30+ high price, high level Govt Officials in this mayhem (think of the tax dollars that this whole thing entailed) – yet he doesn’t want to plead guilty to 3 charges but agrees to 2 out of 3. He should be behind bars for MANSLAUGHTER not “reckless driving or improper lane change” – but since he was a Politician recently elected.
It turns out he had a bunch of similar situations happen within a few weeks prior to Hitting the Boever Bullseye and only Law Enforcement pulled him over & warned him of his careless behavior.
______________ So someone tell me how this man, who hit another human being on the opposite side of the road gets nothing more than parking ticket citations; won’t be behind bars and his License to Practice Law is merely on hold for a measly 6 months? Now compare that to Rudy Giuliania who said out loud when >50% of Americans said Nov 2020 “The Election was riddled w/fraud – there is evidence of fraud – these citizens approached me and gave sworn testimony before X, Y & Z” and Rudy’s Law License was stripped from him. This other guy hits & kills a man and gets 6 months….. How the eff does this continue to happen?
MSN has a very detailed timeline for the entire case, I’m unable to add a link for your ease but the level of hypocrisy knows no boundaries! I want to know who he blew or provided “bottom” to, close friend of P Diddy or Ghislaine Maxwell – what did he have (skeletons, gossip, knowledge of some SEVERE fault, etc ) as this Republican got the TOTAL opposite of what 90% of Jan 6’ers received. The Oath Keepers probably shouldn’t read about this case – those guys legitimately protected Office Dunn (verified by CCTV) and were sentenced up to 23 years and this SOB drives over a man on a rural road while on his cell phone… ZERO time behind bars.
The MSN Story was a headline 3 days ago (so Jan 20) – You gotta read it and count how many govt employees, Police, Investigators, Govt Offices, Court personnel etc etc etc…. Here they could’ve written him 3 Traffic Citations, charged him $1500 and saved HUNDREDS of hours – – Crock of BS